


It's All An Act

by withaflashoflove



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 18:40:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9002032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withaflashoflove/pseuds/withaflashoflove
Summary: A plan to finally get Iris and Barry together.





	1. Chapter 1

Iris and Cisco were kissing.

Iris and Cisco were _kissing._

_Iris and Cisco were kissing aka the love of his life and his best friend were kissing._

Why were they kissing? They shouldn’t be kissing. Cisco shouldn’t be kissing her. Iris shouldn’t be kissing him. Cisco should be in a country far far away and Iris should be wrapped up in _Barry’s_ arms with _his_ lips on _her_ lips and not on _Cisco’s_ lips because oh god oh god, they shouldn’t be kissing, yet there they were standing in front of him, and there they were kissing in front of him, and here he was, feet locked in place staring at them kissing in front of him in middle of STAR Labs like this was a thing they just did, and he couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe, he felt like he’d been shocked and numbed and frozen still, like he couldn’t get a grip on his feet or body or senses because _OH_ _DEAR_ _GOD_ they were kissing!!

And they kept doing it!

Even when he ruffled his feet a little to indicate his presence.

Was the kiss that good? Were they a couple? But Iris and Barry were supposed to be the couple, not Iris and Cisco! Yet she was locking lips with Cisco like her life depended on it, with her hands running through his hair and her body pressed against his, and he was almost too disgusted to watch but he couldn’t look away. 

That’s what it was. 

Maybe she didn’t love him because he had shitty hair. Cisco had good hair.

Or maybe it was the lips. Or maybe the height. Was he too tall? Cisco wasn’t too tall.

That’s why she was kissing him, he’d bet his speed on it. Because Cisco was her height. Maybe his height intimidated her. Maybe he needed to shrink. And let his hair grow out. It was too short. Iris didn’t like short hair. She liked short people.

Or maybe she had a thing for engineers and not CSIs. Maybe she liked Cisco’s powers more than she liked super speed.

Maybe she just liked Cisco.

Barry’s heart fell at that thought. He was pretty sure no more than three seconds had gone by, but it felt like an eternity. And he couldn’t take it anymore, not when he saw Cisco’s tongue darting into her mouth, so Barry haphazardly waved his hands around from the spot that he was in, resisting the very intense urge to run over and step in between the two of them because they shouldn’t be kissing!!

He caught Iris’s attention first, who quickly pulled away from Cisco, before adjusting the jacket she had on (she was wearing _Cisco’s jacket_ for crying out loud!).

“Hey Bear,” she breathes, taking a step back from Cisco.

He sees her fidget in place, sees the way she plays with the ring on her finger, and he shifts his attention to Cisco who has what seems to be a breathless smile on his face, and Barry’s praying he doesn’t start vibrating from the absurd amount of anger and confusion he was feeling.

“Wha..” is all he manages to stutter out.

Cisco stares at him, the smile growing wider.

Iris, on the other hand, ducks her head low, and he thinks he sees some resemblance of guilt on her face. Maybe she was feeling bad he caught them? 

But then why were they sneaking around! Hell, they weren’t even sneaking! Having a make-out session in STAR Labs isn’t sneaking out, not in the slightest. If they were hiding their relationship, STAR Labs wasn’t the place to do it! Definitely not out in the open! At least go to a metahuman prison! That way, if he caught them, he could’ve locked them in forever.

Well maybe not _them_. Maybe just Cisco. And he’d run Iris somewhere far away, like CCPN and he’d run himself to the edge of the cliff to scream in frustration.

He glares at Cisco. “Hey bro.”

Barry doesn’t answer. 

“Earth to Barry,” Cisco waves, still grinning.

Barry forces his words out, through teeth clenched as tight as his fists. “Am I-am I interrupting something?” he spits out, glancing over to Iris with hurt in his eyes.

“Barry…” she says, but her voice trails off and he knows he’s not imagining the heartbreak on her face.

“You’re not!” Cisco’s voice stalls his thoughts. “We were just rehearsing!”

Barry turns back over to the engineer. “Reh..rehearsing for what?”

“A performance. Jesse’s film studies class requires she write and film a short movie.”

“But you two aren’t in the class?”

“We’re not,” Cisco affirms matter-of-factly, “but her professor kept it open on who could star in it. So she asked us to help.” 

Iris gives a little nod of approval. 

“…why is Jesse taking a film studies class?” Barry asks, still confused. 

“She needs an upper division elective outside her major,” Iris answers without missing a beat, “so she chose this because it focused on the superhero genre.”

And Barry can understand that. That was sound reasoning, it made sense. Maybe Jesse told him in passing and he just forgot about it. He knew she and Iris were spending a lot of time together, and she knew Cisco was meeting them a lot too. Maybe that’s why. They were writing a short movie together. That was okay. 

Iris and Cisco were kissing because they were helping Jesse with a project. They were being good friends.

And he understood that.

But he just couldn’t swallow the feeling of betrayal.

He and Iris weren’t together. _Technically_ at least. He came back from resetting the timeline, but he’d inadvertently erased their kiss.

Which meant he’d inadvertently erased her _I love you_ as well. But time went on for the duration he was away, and he came back into a world that had progressed three months since he’d left it.

Which apparently meant Jesse was back on this earth and in college. And Cisco and Iris were hanging out a lot more than he remembered them doing. And Linda was back in Central City. And Wally apparently had a crush on her. 

Truthfully, he didn’t remember all the details. Iris gave him a rundown of them when they had a quiet night in.

But during that night, all Barry wanted to do was ask her if she still felt the same way about him. If she still was willing to give him - _this_ \- a shot. If that confession still happened. But he couldn’t bring himself to because he felt too guilty about what he’d left behind; he felt so selfish and he couldn’t put Iris through any more of that. 

So they were in a bit of a limbo. He didn’t know what they were. She wasn’t pushing it. She was trying to help him adjust back to this life, and he appreciated that. 

She did touch him a little more now, but maybe he was imagining that part and maybe Iris had always done that, it was just that _now_ he was hyperaware of it.

He also noticed how she touched everyone else a lot. Cisco wasn’t an exception. And it didn’t make him too jealous…maybe a little annoyed, but not in a mean way. But they were just kissing. And that didn’t make him happy. Not at all. It made his stomach hurt. Even if it was an act. 

“Bear…?” Iris calls out to him. “You okay?”

“What?” Barry answers, snapping out of his thoughts.

“Are you okay?” Iris repeats, taking a step towards him.

He stares at her and before he can stop himself, the words come out. “Why are you wearing Cisco’s jacket? You have mine.”

_Real smooth Barry._

He hears Cisco laughs. Hard.

“Barry can we talk?” Cisco calls out to him, and before Barry can respond, Cisco walks up to him and drags him away.

* * *

_He shouldn’t have seen that._

That’s all Iris could think. Barry most definitely wasn’t supposed to see that, nor did he _need_ to see that and this was a terrible plan.

Which is why she should never listen to Cisco and Jesse ever again.

_Make him come to his senses, Iris. Remind him of what he’s missing out on, Iris. We can help, Iris._

She rolls her eyes, remembering their words and how they’d managed to convince her of this entire set-up.

Not that it was all fake. But it wasn’t real, not entirely anyway. 

Yes Jesse was in college. And yes she was taking a film studies class. Upper division. Because Jesse was on an expedited track, given she had five previous degrees, but she couldn’t really say they were from a different earth. So Iris managed to convince the university to work out a deal that would allow Jesse to earn two degrees in the span of a year. 

And yes she and Cisco were helping. Iris promised to help track her course load. And with this film class, Iris asked Cisco to join in with the help. But there was _no_ kissing involved! They weren’t even acting it in the movie. Iris was just meant to revise Jesse’s script and Cisco was meant to give Jesse insight on Catwoman and the Riddler.

That was all they had to do.

But Cisco had another idea when Iris unintentionally let it slip when she said she didn’t know where her relationship with Barry stood. That she’d confessed to him that she had feelings for him, but she didn’t know if he didn’t remember that or if he was choosing not to acknowledge it.

_Let me kiss you_ , she remembers Cisco telling her, which earned resounding approval from Jesse but a _what the actual hell_ reaction from her.

He explained.

And maybe it was the alcohol. But she approved it. So maybe it was just her. And they made her promise not to go back on her word.

Which led to Cisco tracking Barry’s movement and pulling Iris in for a kiss right before Barry entered STAR Labs. And now, here she was, alone in a place that suddenly felt too big, with so much guilt overwhelming her, because Barry looked _so_ deflated at that sight, and she couldn’t even get herself to meet his eyes.

Maybe she should’ve just talked to him. But who was she kidding, their communication skills were always off, almost as off as their timing, and she couldn’t risk rejection from him, not when she’d just lost him for the last three months.

Still, trusting Cisco’s plan wasn’t exactly her _best_ idea.

* * *

Cisco bit down hard on the inside of his cheek, doing his best to contain the smile that threatened his face.

Barry was still pacing back and forth and though he’d tried to talk him down, it seemed like the speedster wasn’t understanding it all too well. 

“So you’re telling me,” Barry says, coming to an abrupt stop in front of Cisco, “that it’s just an act right? You’re just rehearsing?”

“Right.”

He sees fire in Barry’s eyes. 

“Why was she wearing your jacket?”

Cisco smirks. “She got cold. I’m a nice person.”

“She has my jacket.”

“Barry.” Cisco stares at him with teasing eyes, but he’s met with a look of pure seriousness, so he changes his tone, adding, “she forgot yours at CCPN so I gave her mine.”

“Why was she here?” 

“Okay when did you police her every action, Mr. Only-I-get-to-control-what-lives-people-live?”

He knew that had to sting a little, by the way Barry’s face dropped. And Cisco and Iris had discussed this extensively. She was forgiving of the whole thing, telling him that Barry needed to do it, needed to live the life that was stolen from him. He, on the other hand, was not. Not in the slightest. 

In fact, he was a really hurt by it. And maybe having a little bit of fun with Barry would be some form of retaliation against it.

“You kissed her!” Barry challenges.

“ _Re-hear-sal,”_ Cisco enunciates.

“You know I love her!”

“I didn’t know you’d lose your shit over a fake kiss!”

_Ehh_ , so that was a lie. He figured it would happen. Hence the brilliance of this plan.

“Cisco…”

“What? Are you gonna tell me Iris isn’t allowed to even have a little fun with anyone whose name isn’t Barry Allen, when you two aren’t even together yet? Are you always gonna be this possessive of her?” 

Barry shakes his head. “It’s not like that!”

“Barry, we’re friends helping another friend! There’s nothing more to it.”

“Bu-”

“No I don’t wanna hear it,” Cisco cuts him off, walking towards him, “you left us for three months and Iris and I cried over you for countless nights on end. And we became damn good friends in the process. Friends who help each other out and who help other friends out, like we’re doing with Jesse. So you don’t get to be mad about it when it means _nothing.”_

He surprised himself when those words left his mouth, not intending to have this conversation in this moment, not intending for that kiss to be a getaway to a whole other topic.

But the words were out and Cisco was feeling more anger than amusement.

“Cisco,” Barry puts a hand on his shoulder, “can we talk about it?”

“There’s nothing to talk about. You’ve been back for only two weeks though. And things are a little different so why don’t you try adjusting to them instead of fighting them?

Iris and I are friends. Nothing more Barry.”

He walks away from his hold, and he’s sure Barry’s watching him leave. So before he opens the door to walk out, he spins back around, deciding to add a little more humor to the mix because this got too heavy too fast, not in a way it was intended to.

“She looks better in my jacket,” Cisco grins, the teasing back in his eyes. And with that, he goes back out to meet Iris, leaving a stunned Barry behind.


	2. Chapter 2

“We shouldn’t have done that.” Iris paces across STAR Labs, in the same place Barry just was a few minutes ago. Duty called and he had to run out before they could have any real discussion. But she didn’t miss the sadness in his eyes when he left.

“Was I _that_ bad of a kiss?” Cisco feigns offense, bringing her to a stop.

She lets out a deep sigh. “It’s not you. It’s him.”

“You know,” Cisco grins, signaling to the chair by his side for her to come sit on, “under normal circumstances, I’d be upset at the sound of that. This time, I’m relieved.”

“Cisco…” she begins to say, but he interrupts.

“Iris. We don’t have to go through it if you don’t want to.”

She makes her way over to the chair, still not shaking Barry’s face out of her head. “It’s not that. He just looked so heartbroken.”

It was a harmless kiss. And the whole point of this was to speed things up between the two of them. To _do_ what they couldn’t _say_. And maybe it would work.

Cisco seems to read her mind. “Good. Then it’s working,” he muses.

“You don’t think he’s angry?”

“What, by a fake kiss? He has no right to be,” Cisco pauses, before adding, “by what I told him, on the other hand…? He has even littler right to be.”

“Cisco” - Iris looks at him, the panic coursing through her - “what’d you tell him?”

“You looked better in my jacket.”

Iris rolls her eyes and lets out a laugh. “Didn’t I tell you he’d take the jacket thing to heart?”

“I never doubted you,” Cisco smirks.

Barry gave her the jacket (rather she _stole_ the jacket, but he seemed pretty on board with it) when they were sitting and talking a week ago, after he came back home. And she wore it the next day, unintentionally if she were being honest, but the twinkle in his eyes when he saw her made her heart swell. And ever since, she’s been making an effort to put it on when he’s around. It made him feel happier, she could tell. And it smelled like him. So she liked that part, liked always feeling him on her even when he wasn’t holding her, liked that it was like he was hugging her at all times of the day.

“So onto part 2 of the plan.”

“Right,” Iris shifts her attention to him, fully immersed in the conversation now. She was on board with this. And maybe he’d feel a little bit of sting before they got there, but she was hoping all that would be erased _when_ they got together. And it wouldn’t hurt to have a little more fun. “Okay what’re we doing?”

“Movie night tonight. Just me, you, Barry and Jesse. You gotta sit really close by.”

“Wait why’s Jesse coming?” Iris asks.

“Jesse’s the one who’s gonna bring Barry home right in time to see you running your hand through my hair and cuddling close to me.”

She deadpans at him. “That’s too obvious.”

“You’re touchy!” he defends.

“So are you! You do it.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I mean my hair gives yours a run for its money. Plus we’re the same size to make the cuddling thing work either way.”

“Hmm.” 

Iris watches his facial expressions and she knows he’s giving it thought. And truthfully, her way was better. Because lately, Iris had been trying to touch Barry a little more, whether it was simple pats to the back or grazes of the hand or, really, whatever she could get. And she’d been actively trying to do it less with others, so that maybe he’d catch on that this was something more than just a touch. At least that she wanted it to be more.

But it was to no avail. Not yet at least.

“Okay,” Cisco agrees after a few more seconds had passed by, “I like the plan. Tonight at 8.”

“Deal,” Iris smiles.

* * *

 

This was the nightmare that just wouldn’t end.

First they kiss. In the middle of STAR Labs, right in the middle of it. With tongue and everything. Then she wears Cisco’s jacket. Then Cisco yells at him, and that was a whole different thing he didn’t know how to deal with.

And now this. Them cuddling on the couch, in his house, under Joe’s roof (maybe he could bring it up with Joe…maybe he shouldn’t though).

Why oh why was his timing the worst? Why did he have to walk in at the exact moment that Cisco was brushing a strand of Iris’s hair away from her cheek and tucking it behind her ear, only to lay his head on her shoulder afterwards.

It didn’t help that Jesse was standing next to him, giving him a little nudge to _go through the door_ instead of just stand there, which is what he was doing, with feet planted firmly in place and a jaw wide open, like his eyes were, watching the two of them laze around on the couch.

“Barry?” Jesse asks.

He doesn’t respond. She pokes his shoulder.

“Wha-what?” he says, turning to her, but quickly turns back to Iris and Cisco who apparently weren’t aware that they’d come home.

“You okay there? You’re a bit frozen.”

“Fine,” he brushes her comment off.

He sees Iris glance backwards towards him and they briefly lock eyes before she turns back around and lowers the volume significantly.

“You’re home!” she smiles at him. 

Cisco does the same, turning around to face him.

And Barry swears there’s a mischievous look on Cisco’s face, but he can’t wrap his head around it, because this just didn’t make sense.

“Home,” Barry says, though it comes out more like a groan and he’s gotta get it together at some point. Especially if they were going to be cuddled up all night. 

“Just in time for more popcorn!” Iris stands up, walking over to give him a hug (that was nice; she smelled like a mix of him and her and it made him feel a little warmer). “Cisco come help me?” 

Jesse must’ve seen the panic on his face because the minute Iris asked that question, Barry was sure he just about collapsed, his knees feeling shaky and not strong enough to support the rest of him. 

So he appreciated when Jesse brushed her arm against his and volunteered to go instead, leaving Cisco and Barry alone in the room. 

“Just in time,” Cisco grins, passing him the packet of gummy bears, which Barry doesn’t take. “You okay? Lookin’ a little pale.” 

“Fine,” Barry attempts a smile.

“You don’t _look_ fine.”

Barry sinks down on the couch, on the opposite end of Cisco. He holds his breath, tapping his fingers nervously on his thigh before turning over to face his friend, who was still watching the movie.

“Are you two always gonna be this touchy?” Barry blurts out. 

He sees Cisco hide a smirk. “Scary movies call for cuddle buddies.”

“You could’ve waited till we got home..”

“Barry,” Cisco faces him, “do you want me to just stop touching her all together? How about I stop looking at her in the process?”

And Barry didn’t understand why Cisco couldn’t understand this. But another part of him realized that maybe he was being too overbearing and that Iris and Cisco were friends, and friends sometimes did this.

“How close did you two get, exactly?”

“When you were gone?” 

“Yeah,” Barry winces, “when I was gone.”

Cisco pauses the movie. “You know that thing that Iris does where she lets everyone break down in front of her and comforts them through it, but never lets herself do the same?”

“Yeah.”

“She did that for Joe. And Wally. And Caitlin. And me. Watched us all breakdown right in front of her. Hell I was in her arms when it happened.”

And the guilt is back, eating away at him. He hadn’t realized it then, when he went back in time that night; he hadn’t realized how much this would impact all of them, how much they’d grieve his loss while he was allowed to make friends with new versions of them, only to leave them behind too. 

The more he thought about it - especially the more they clued him in on what happened while he was away - the more it dawned on him that this was bigger than him. And that there were a lot of holes he’d have to fill.

“Did she cry?” Barry asks, almost not wanting to hear the answer.

“Twice. Once after her dad did. And once on her birthday.”

Barry nods his head. “You were there?” he looks at Cisco, the tears threatening to leave his eyes.

“I was there.”

He hears Jesse and Iris’s footsteps as they make their way back inside the living room. And he looks up to see the way Iris has a shy smile, the way she’s holding one of the bowls of popcorn, and before he knows it, let alone expects it, she takes the seat next to him, while Jesse sits next to her. 

Their couch was just big enough to fit four people and not be a tight fight. Though they were pressed against each other, comfortably and cozily and it was nice.

“Popcorn?” Iris asks, putting the bowl in his lap, her arm pressing into his.

He sees Cisco unpause the movie, a small grin drawing on his face as he makes eye contact with Barry.

And he was thankful for that. Thankful Iris and Cisco had each other when he was learning new versions of them. But it was nice to be home again.

With _his_ Iris. Where he belonged.

“Yeah,” Barry smiles and reaches into the bowl at the same time she does, and there’s a little spark of electricity when their hands touch. He turns to look at her and sees her do the same, though neither pull away.

Instead he takes her hand in his, his smile glowing from the TV light. “You can’t hog all the popcorn,” he whispers into her ear.

“I made it!” Iris whispers back.

And he’s missed this. Missed their playfulness. Missed her close by and next to him. 

So he leans over and kisses her. A chaste kiss to the temple, but he feels her snuggle up to him when he does it.

And because he’s feeling extra brave with the newfound warmth, he pulls an old high school movie trick. The one where he pretends to yawn, just so his right hand has an excuse to move up and make its way around her shoulder.

If she’s suspicious of the motive of his yawn, she doesn’t comment. Instead he feels her cuddle in closer, feels her smile into his chest, their hands still linking, and he could stay like this forever.


	3. Chapter 3

“Hey sleepy head,” Cisco greets Barry as he walks into STAR Labs, “long time no see.”

Cisco and Jesse had left them the night before after they’d both fallen asleep watching the movie. It was cute, the way Iris was curled into him and the way Barry had his arm around her, and the way their hands were intertwined. Really a picture-perfect, candid moment, bound to make hearts everywhere swoon.

“When’d you two leave?” 

“Well, when Iris was practically on your lap, Jesse and I figured we were interrupting something pretty private,” he smirks. 

Barry makes his way over to a chair and plops down, before rubbing his eyes.

Cisco could tell Barry was happier, probably because of last night, but there was a hint of _something else_ lingering in his eyes. So he went back to work, typing away at his computer, deciding if something were to be discussed, Barry’d start it.

And sure enough, that’s what he did after a few minutes. “Are we okay?”

Cisco looks up. “Me and you?”

Barry nods.

A heart-to-heart with his best friend felt long overdue. So Cisco makes his way to the chair besides Barry and sits down. 

“I’m mad at you for leaving.”

“I know.”

“Iris said it was something you needed to do,” he continues.

“It was.”

“You didn’t even say goodbye.”

“I know,” Barry affirms.

Because he didn’t say goodbye. He just vanished out of the blue. And that night, when they were all at Joe’s house waiting for him to come back, he didn’t. 

So Cisco stayed with Iris a little longer after everyone else left. And she didn’t tell him everything, that didn’t happen till a lot later, but she did tell him _Barry might not be back for a while_ and _why?_ sounded like the most pathetic question to ask after he heard that. 

For the next month, he felt really guilty. Because maybe they could’ve done something more to help Barry. And maybe they should’ve stopped him before leaving. And maybe they should’ve kept an eye on him that night.

But during that second month, Iris broke down in front of him, and the sadness was replaced by a sense of anger. Because it was time. It was time to come back home, to come back home to the woman who loved him more than anyone in the entire world, to come back to his life and his family and his friends, who put their lives on the line to save him.

He didn’t come back. 

Not till a month later. Not till anger turned into grief and justifications fell short and nothing made sense about where he was or how he was or when he was coming back home. 

Then one night he did. Two weeks ago. And Iris messaged him a while after the fact and let him know. And Cisco was relieved beyond belief, but something still didn’t feel right. 

“You’re not allowed to time travel anymore,” Cisco says with a shaky voice, because in the end, this was the most important thing. Those three months would be analyzed later. But right now, that felt like the most honest thing to say. 

“Okay,” Barry agrees.

“I’m serious. No more time traveling unless you have my written permission.”

“Okay.”

He pauses before adding, “and Iris has to co-sign.”

“Okay.” That gets a laugh from Barry which, in turn, makes him laugh as well.

But then the room goes silent for a while, once the laughter dries out. And Cisco looks at him with twinkling eyes and a heavy heart and says, “don’t make her cry anymore. She deserves to smile all the time. Not cry.” 

Barry lets out a deep sigh, and Cisco watches as his fingers come up to rub his temples. “I should bring it up with her again?” 

“Damn right you should. Iris is waiting for you to say something.”

“So I take that it was a plan from the start?”

“What was?” Cisco smirks. Not like he’d ever admit it.

Barry gives him the _I-know-you-know_ look, but Cisco merely shakes his head, feigning confusion. Luckily Barry drops it.

“She’s been helping me adjust.”

And Cisco already knows that part too. Already knows that Iris’s forgiveness is made of stardust, already knows her compassion and empathy extend out of the world.

“She loves you. That’s what she does.”

Barry seems stunned at the comment, the word _love_ weighing in the air. “How did you know that?”

“Like you didn’t?” he counters, because even if she hadn’t told him, he would’ve still known, just like he knew when she’d visit Barry everyday when he was in a coma, just like he knew when she’d let herself breakdown in the room when she thought no one was watching, just like he knew by the sheer determination and strength in her eyes when he was in the Speedforce and they were trying to get him back.

“Think I should be honest with her?”

“I think you owe her Barry. An apology for leaving, you can start with that. A chance to tell you what’s on her mind…” Cisco’s voice trails off before it comes back with a teasing prosody, “… and a new jacket.”

Barry shoots him a look. “She stole the other one!” 

“Well wear another one and let her steal that!” Cisco counters.

Another silence passes.

“I’ll tell her I love her,” Barry says with a quiet voice.

“Good,” Cisco smiles, “but listen to her too.”

“Okay.” 

* * *

 

She needed some alone time after the events that transpired the night before. She woke up, cuddled in his arms, and it felt like something was finally right, that she finally felt he was back home, that he wasn’t going to leave again.

Then she had to go to work. And she hadn’t really had time to process everything, so the Jitters’ rooftop seemed like a good place to do that, like a good place for her to sort through her thoughts.

She hoped he’d eventually find her.

Sure enough, he did.

“Cold?” she hears him call out from behind.

“A little bit,” Iris laughs, turning around to watch him take a few strides towards her.

Barry takes off his coat, which was a lot bigger and looked a lot warmer than the one she was wearing. He stands right behind her and slips it onto her shoulders.

Iris bundles up in it, the fabric hanging off her body. Still, it feels nice. And it smells like him.

“Thanks.”

“You okay?”

She gives him a gentle nod, still looking out towards the city landscape. They stand in silence for a few minutes, and she feels his arm pressed against hers, as they both take in the view.

It’s Barry who breaks the silence first. “I’m sorry I left.”

Iris nods her head. “You needed to do it.”

“I didn’t think about you. Just me.”

“It's okay, Bear,” because the truth was, she'd always forgive him. And she’d wait for him forever, if he asked her to. Even if he didn’t.

“Still,” he reaches out to hold her hands, and she lets him take them into his, “you didn’t deserve that.” 

_I’m_ _used to it_ she thinks, but it’d be too cruel to say. And she doesn’t want to dwell, doesn’t want to remember any parts of her life where he wasn’t there because it makes her eyes tear up and her heart swell and it makes her miss him all over again.

“Iris,” Barry whispers, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“Are you?”

She looks him in the eyes, fighting off tears, though she was losing the battle, and his fingers come to graze her cheeks, gently wiping them away. He leans in a little closer to her, and somehow she knows the new warmth she feels isn’t just from his coat.

“I will be,” she smiles, because she will be. It’ll just take a little time, and they’ll have to talk about it again at some point, but right now, it was a little too late and a little too heavy and having him here was enough for her.

“I’m here,” he assures. 

Iris nods her head again, the smile still on her face. And she wants to believe it, wants to believe that he won’t leave anymore, that he’ll be here for years to come, that she won’t ever lose him again.

So in a quiet voice, one almost too quiet to hear, she asks, “promise?” like the weight of their whole relationship depended on the answer. 

He never hesitates. Never breaks eye contact with her. He just says, “I promise,” like it’s the most natural thing to say, like he means it with all of him, and she believes him.

She’ll always believe him. 

He leans into her, this time his hands cup her face and she feels like she’s done this before, can’t exactly remember where or why, but when his lips touch hers, it sends electricity through her body, and she gravitates into him, uses his body as support, curls her arms into his chest, kisses him back, so gently, but so fervently that it makes the autumn night feel like a summer day.

He pulls away first, rests his forehead on hers and she can see his green eyes, can see the hints of tears in them, can see his eyelashes dancing with the wind, can see the way his mouth curls upwards, like he’s _happy._

And she’s happy too.

“I love you, Iris.”

She closes her eyes at the sound of those words.

“I love you,” he repeats and this time, her eyes flutter open to lock with his. She doesn’t say anything. Just leans up to kiss him again.

* * *

 

It’s 12 a.m. when Cisco hears his phone ping. He checks the message. Iris _._

_It worked : )_

He smiles at the text, a sense of accomplishment coursing through him.

**_You owe me :P_ **

**_…and Jesse_ **

He presses send and waits a few seconds before his phone buzzes again, and this time he grins wide in the middle of his apartment at the response.

_Thank you. Truly_

The victories were seemingly rare during this stretch of time. It hasn’t been an easy three months. But that ‘thank you’ makes him feel like at least something went right.

**_Anytime, partner_ **

is all he sends back, and he knows Iris is smiling just as wide on the other side of the screen.


End file.
